Continued studies have been carried out in research to develop drugs which would significantly inhibit the development of inflammation and relieve the pain and fever associated with it. While much of this effort has been carried out in the steroid field these have been compounds developed which are non-steroidal and have included such as the alkanoic acids derived from biphenyl, stilbene, indole, naphthylene and various heteryl rings. While many of these compounds have been found to be effective, they have had the drawback of causing various side effects or being effective only on a specific disorder.
I have unexpectedly found that when a halo or thio group or derivative thereof is present in the .alpha., .beta. or .gamma. position of the side chain of a substituted phenylbutyric acid molecule, pharmacological properties exist in the molecule which are useful for the relief and inhibition of inflammation conditions.
I have also found that the compounds of this invention are effective in the treatment of inflammation and the control of arthritic conditions associated with inflammation.
I have further found that .alpha., .beta. or .gamma. halo and thio phenylbutyric acids and their derivatives are novel.
I have also found that the compounds of this invention possess useful analgesic and antipyretic properties and are useful in the treatment of pain and fever.
I have still further found an entirely new class of antiinflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic pharmaceutical compositions which contain an .alpha., .beta. or .gamma.-halo or thiophenylbutyric acid or derivative thereof as active ingredient.
I have also found a convenient method for synthesizing these compounds.